Massage apparatus



pmu! 3, 1935. Cl B, HARDY MAS-SAGE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 22,l 1934 NVETOR.

,haar

Patented Apr. 30, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide certain necessary improvements over the devices disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States previously granted to me for similar machines and numbered as follows: 1,276,526;

1,303,475; 1,391,893 and 1,617,593.

The objects of this invention include: the provision of a simplied unitary structure for embodying all of the moving parts of the mechanism '!h capable of being readily attached to and detached from a supporting table or couch structure; the provision of two opposed series of mechanical applicators extending longitudinally of the couch and commonly actuated by a single rotatable l operating shaft; means for slidably supporting the applicators and means for independently adjusting the applicators so as to limit their upward thrust.

Still other objects will appear as the vdescription of the mechanism progresses.

In the consideration of this invention it may be understood that I have sought to provide a motor driven mechanism embodying aplurality of applicators so disposed withV respect to an operating means that the movement thereof Ywill as nearly as possible simulate the hands of an expert operator in a massaging and manipulating treatment of the spinal column and sides of a patient reclining on a suitable table or couch to which my mechanism is attached.

To this end the applicators are of concavecross section and are so formed and positioned relative to their individual axes and a common operating member that their inner extremities will be first thrust upwardly, after which the applicators will oscillate so as outwardly at right angles to the spinal column, thence swing inwardly and downwardly in each complete operation.

The applicators are formed of soft material such as sponge rubber and are additionally mounted on vsupports in which compression springs are held for urging the applicators outwardly to a limited extent. Thus the pressure of the-applicators on the tissues of the body is at all times sufficiently firm to massage and manipulate the muscles and tissues but yet is sufficiently yieldable to eliminate unnecessary harshness and abrasion of the tissues.

The applicators are arranged in two series, each i of which includes a substantial number of independently operable units. The applicators of each lseries operate in sequence, or otherwise as may be desired, and the two series'may be timed with each other in any suitable sequence to afford 55' the best results.

(Cl. 12S-69) I prefer to mount the manipulating mechanism on a couch on which a patient may recline during a treatment, and to detachably mount the mechanism as an integral unit on the couch with the applicators extending through an opening in the bed of the couch. Also, the bed of the couch is preferably formed of two sections, of which at least one section is detachable from the couch frame so as to afford ready access to the manipulatingV mechanism and to permit the ready attachment of the same or its removal from the couch.

I have shown in the accompanying drawing a preferred form of my invention, subj ect toy modication within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

'In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the assembled mechanism operatively mounted on a suitable couch, and with a portion of the couch bed broken away;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, in

elevation, showing one bank, or series of applicators operatively associated with a rotatable operating member;

' Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the manipulating mechanism showing a pair of the applicators and the operating means therefor, together with certain details of structure; on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are, respectively, perspective views of separable bed sections of the couch, arranged to interlock on the couch frame and providing means for supporting a patient in contact with the applicators;

Fig. 6 is a typical section of the operating shaft for all of the applicators showing one of the cams aiiixed to said shaft for regulating and effecting the movement of the applicators.

Briefly described, my mechanism includes a couch B having separable bed sections l and 2 with an elongated opening 3 within which are arranged a plurality of applicators A, A, etc. mounted on a frame F and adapted to be oscillated by cams C, C, etc., on a common operating shaft YO. The entire mechanism is arranged for operation by means of an electric motor M suitably connected with a gear reduction unit G which, in turn, is connected with operating r shaft O, as shown in Fig. l. 0

The couch bed member l is attached to the head of the couch frame B and is provided with marginal portions 4, 5 and 6, extending above the level of the upholstered bed portion 1 to prevent the displacement of a patient during a treatment. The portions 5 and 6 extend beyond the portion 'I and provide a recess 8 adapted to detachably receive longitudinal extensions 9 and E9 of the associated member 2. Thus, when the manipulating mechanism and the bed sections are attached to the frame C the ends of portions 5 and S of bed section l will abut shoulders II and I2, respectively, at the junctions of the extensions 9 and I with the bed portion I3 of member 2 and all of the applicators A, A, etc. will be positioned in the opening 3 of the bed for direct Contact with the body of a patient.

Bed section I may be permanently or detachably secured to the frame B in any suitable manner, but the section 2 is detachably secured to said frame, preferably by means of upwardly extended dowels I 4 secured at the corners of the frame and adapted to engage corresponding apertures in the base of the bed section 2.

The applicators A, A, etc. are operatively mounted on a pair of parallel longitudinal rods I5 and I5 which are secured at their opposite ends to horizontal members I9, I9 of similar frame members Il and I8, and the operating shaft O is journaled at its opposite ends in bearings 29, 2G of said frame members. Operating shaft O carries a gear 2| which meshes with and is driven by a pinion 22 attached to an extended end of a driven shaft 23 embodied in the gearreduction unit G.

All of the applicators A of the two series are in all respects similar and are preferably of the formand are arranged as shown in Fig. 3. Each.

applicator unit includes an oscillatable support 24 with a tubular body portion 25 which is closed at its lower end, an arm 26 extended right angularly from the upper portion of the body and terminating in a bearing 2'I adapted to oscillatably receive one of the rods I5 or I6, and a shoe, or follower 28 diagonally extended from the lower extremity of the body and adapted to engage one of the cams C.

Each applicator unit also includes a holder 29 of concave cross section, a soft and resilientV applicator 30 suitably secured to the concave upper surface thereof, a stem 3l depending from and secured to the holder 29 and slidably seated in a bore 32 of the body 25, and a compression spring 33 held in the bore 32 of the body and compressed between the inner end of the stem 3I and the bottom of the body. The body 25 has a lug 34 thereon bored to receive an adjusting screw 35 which is secured at its upper end to a lug 36 of the holder 29, and is threaded at its lower end to receive one or more nuts 3l beneath the lug 34, whereby theV upward thrust of the applicator may be limited.

The applicator units are independently held in operative engagement with their cams C by means of tension springs 33 which are secured at their upper ends to intermediate portions of the supports 24 and at their lower ends to parallel and transversely spaced rods 39 and 49 which areV attached at their opposite ends to portions 4I and 42, respectively of the frame members Il and I8.

The longitudinal rods I5, I6, 39 and 40 are attached to the frame members I'I and I8 so as to connect said frame members and to hold the manipulating unit together as an assembled unit.

As distinguished from other forms of manipulating machines of my invention which are Vapplicators at each operation than is possible with the mechanism of said previously patented mechanism.

The cam engaging surfaces 43 of the shoes 28 are convex and when they engage the lowest points on the cams the tubular bodies are substantially vertical, as shown in Fig. 3. It will be noted that the toes of the shoes 28 of the appli.- cators of each of the series underlies vthe rod 39 or 40 of the other series of applicators. Thus the rods 39 and 40 serve to limit the oscillating movement of the applicators. I prefer to provide rubber cushions 44 of tubular form kon the rods 39 and 49 opposite each of the shoes 28 so that when the cams C thrust the shoes upwardly they will engage the cushions instead of the rods 39 or 40, and thus eliminate undue noise in operation or wear of the parts.

The cams C, C, etc. are set on the operating shaft for operating the applicators in any desired sequence, but I have found Vit desirable to operate the applicators in a natural sequence, beginning with the rst and ending with the last applicator in each series. Such a sequence is in` dicated in Fig. 1. Preferably, also. the operation of the rst applicator in one of the series is effected simultaneously with the operation of the last applicator in the other series, thereby preventing a rolling of the body of a patient on the couch during a manipulating operation.

Inasmuch as the applicators are as close together as possible, both longitudinally and transversely, and the concave surfaces of the applicators are as nearly as possible flush with the upper surface of the bed of the couch, a patient mayA recline with his or her back, side or stomach on the applicators without discomfort. v

The applicators are of sufficient number and are so arranged that they will simultaneously contact a substantial area of the body and impart a gentle but firm massage to the tissues, thereby increasing circulation in affected parts and otherwise manipulating the parts and stimulating the organs of the body.

The complete mechanism is portable and may be provided with a switch 45 and a socket 46 suitably connected in the circuit of themotor M.

The material of which the applicators are made is highly frictional and resilient, and in operation, it will be observed that the initial upward thrust of each applicator will be limited in extent only by the weight or resistance of the body to such a movement, until the movement is stopped by the engagement of the shoe with its cushion 44. As the applicators are thrust upwardly they -are simultaneously but gradually rotated outwardly, and on their return strokes are rotated inwardly and thrust downwardly. The applicators proper are self adjusting on their supports 24 against the tension of their springs 33, thereby easing the operation thereof. The applicators A, when at rest are held against the cushions 44 on the opposite rod 39 or 40, and have lugs 41 at the inner ends of their tubular bodies 25 for such purpose. Thus, normally the bodies are substantially vertical in disposition. Other advantages of my improved manipulating mechanism will readily occur to those skilled in the practice of therapeutics.

What I claim, is:

1. A massaging and manipulating machine comprising in combination: a couch having an elongated opening therein, and a unitary mechanism detachably mounted on said couch adjacent said opening; said mechanism including two opposed series of applicators extending longitudinally of said opening, each oi said series being composed of a plurality of applicators oscillatable transversely of said opening and self adjusting individually for conformation to the irregular surface of a body in contact therewith, each applicator having an inwardly and downwardly projecting shoe thereon, and a single operating shaft below and intermediate said series of applicators common to and for engagement with said applicators for oscillating the applicators.

2. A massaging and manipulating machine comprising in combination: a couch having an opening therein, a frame detachably secured to said couch beneath said opening, a pair o parallel transversely spaced shafts held on said frame and extending longitudinally of the couch, a plurality of axially adjustable applicators oscillatably mounted on each of said shafts within said opening for contact with a body supported in a reclining position on said couch, an operating shaft positioned below and midway between and paralleling said pair of shafts, individual means on said operating shaft engageable with and for oscillating said applicators, separate supports for said applicators, each applicator having a stem slidable in one of said supports, springs carried by said applicators and engaging said stems for urging the applicators into extended positions on their supports, and adjusting screws fixed to said applicators and adjustably connected with said supports for limiting the thrust of the applicators on the supports.

3. A massaging and manipulating machine comprising in combination: a couch comprising a supporting frame, a bed therefor formed oi a pair of sections of which at least one section is detachably supported relative to the other section, and a unitary manipulating mechanism detachably mounted on said frame beneath said bed and including two sets of applicators arranged longitudinally of said couch on parallel axes and adapted to Contact with the surface of a body supported in a reclining position on said couch.

4. A massaging and manipulating machine as characterized in claim 3 including a separate oscillatable support for each applicator, and an operating member commento and independently associated with all of said applicators in such a manner as to eiect an initial upward thrust and an ensuing transverse rotative motion of each applicator in a set in succession.

5. A massaging and manipulating machine as characterized in claim 3 including individual supports for the applicators, parallel means for oscillatably supporting and axially alining the applicators of each set, a common operating member intermediate and below the axes of the sets of applicators, independent means for engaging the several applicators of each set with said common operating member, means for slidably holding the applicators on their supports, and means for limiting the movement of the applicators on said supports.

6. A massaging and manipulating mechanism comprising a frame, a pair of transversely spaced and longitudinally parallel rods secured thereto, a rotatable shaft journaled on said frame on an axis below and midway between said rods, a plurality of applicators extensibly and oscillatably mounted on each of said rods in transverse alinement, each of said applicators having an inwardly extended shoe disposed over and projecting substantially beyond said shaft, a cam iixed to' said shaft for operative engagement with each of said shoes, and means on said frame and disposed in the paths of said shoes for engagement with the shoes so as tolimit the upward thrust of said applicators at predetermined points in the rotation ci said cams, and means for rotating said shaft.

7. A massaging and manipulating mechanism comprising a frame, a pair of transversely spaced and longitudinally parallel rods secured thereto, a rotatable shaft journaled on said frame below and intermediate said rods, a plurality of applicators extensibly and oscillatably mounted on each of said rods so as to provide pairs of transversely alined applicators; each of said applicators including an oscillatable support having a tubular body, a holder slidable on said body, means for urging said applicator outwardly, an adjustable screw secured to each applicator and having a threaded connection with the associated support for limiting the outward movement of the holder, and an inwardly extended shoe on said body; a plurality of cams xed to said shaft and engageable with said shoes for oscillating said applicators, and means for rotating said shaft.

8. A massaging and manipulating mechanism as characterized in claim 7 including separate means on opposite portions of said frame and overlying the shoes of said applicator for limiting the oscillating movement of said applicators.

CLARA B. HARDY. 

